PGDE Cumbrae Trip 2017
On Friday, 27 January 2017, a group of 30 primary and secondary PGDE students from the University of Strathclyde, accompanied by two members of staff, travelled to the Field Studies Council, Millport, on the island of Great Cumbrae to participate in a weekend of CPD focusing on Outdoor Learning.
One of the students, Mark O’Neill, describes the trip…
Despite the weather, everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves and we all participated in the many activities. We were introduced to a range of different outdoor learning strategies that we hope to use in our own outdoor teaching experiences.
The course kicked off with a short orienteering activity to help us find our bearings around the centre. We were able to put our map skills to good use and learned lots of interesting facts about renewable energy and the various ways that we can help the marine environment.
Day two focused on exploring the town of Millport and we all enjoyed learning about the history of the town. We also learned about the history of volcanoes, Vikings and Victorians on the island. Daniel, our terrific guide for the weekend, used a variety of strategies to engage us, including ‘Kung Fu’ moves when explaining rock formation history and a human graph to illustrate a geological Scottish timeline. We even had the opportunity to create our very own ‘Viking House’, and this helped us to explore sustainability. After a quick bite to eat in the town, we learned about tidal. Following a number of exciting food chain activities (which clearly showed the competitive streak in us all), we visited the rocky shores at Farland Point where we encountered some crabs, amongst other animals, whilst learning about marine life. After dinner, we learned about some of the wildlife around the centre and set up our own small mammal traps. The day ended under the stars with a campfire accompanied by lots of songs, rhymes and riddles and the occasional toasted marshmallow (or two!).
On our third and final day, we participated in an array of team building challenges which tested each of us both physically and mentally. All of the strategies and activities used were adaptable for use in our own classroom practice. The strategies for reviewing progression and learning that we were introduced to were brilliant!
On a personal level, I have always had some reservations about outdoor learning mainly due to my own lack of experience. Having attended this fantastic course, I now feel much more confident about outdoor learning and cannot wait to implement the skills and knowledge that I gained during my time on Cumbrae.
Photos : Grant Atkinson and Mark O’Neill.